Ultimately Annihilated
by mr. 96
Summary: Ichigo takes a vacation to Misaki City. What happens when he meets Shana and the Substitute Soul Reaper gets involved in the Crimson Realm
1. Chapter 1

**Mr 96 here, back with a new fic! My goal here is to try my best to push out a new fic since none of my older stuff is really catching attention! Anyways, this fanfic star****ted when I RP'd a day or two ago with a friend of mine via text messages. He was Hollow Ichigo, and I RP'd as Shana. Don't talk about it! It's embarrassing for a guy to admit he had a lot of fun RP'ing as a girl! Enjoy!**

**Oh, wait...The editor wants me to say that Shakugan no Shana is owned by Geneon and Funimation and Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo through ViZ**

Our human world, which we know as Earth, is the only truth we know. We see, hear, touch, and feel this world, and to us it is the only world. But it is not. I'm not talking about another planet—those are part of our world, and you could get to them if you traveled far enough, as C.S. Lewis stated in _the Chronicles of Narnia, _but an actual other reality. There are in fact two such worlds of great importance. The first, the Crimson Realm, is the stage of existence outside of ours. Beings called Crimson Denizens and Crimson Lords call this place home, although there are some Denizens who escape their world in order to consume humans in our world. When that happens, keepers of order called Flame Hazes step in and temporarily fix the damage by replacing the casualties with beings called "Torches" who are granted a limited period of existence, at the end of which they fade, leaving no memory of their original selves ever existing in the minds of those they knew. The other is called the Soul Society. This world is much more closely connected to our own world than the Crimson Realm, for the residents there are far more actively involved in our events—they escort souls of the dead out of the human world. These people are called Soul Reapers. Just as many people are unaware of there being any other world outside of their own, most Soul Reapers and Crimson Denizens have no knowledge of each other.

In Karakura Town, there exists a boy named Ichigo, who transformed into a Soul Reaper in order to save his family's life. Ever since then, he's balanced his normal human life with protecting the living and sending the dead off to the afterlife. But today, he didn't need to worry about that—after all, he was off on vacation. "Ahh," he yawned, getting up from his bed, "Wonder what I'm gonna do with two weeks off?" "GOOD MORNING, ICHIGO!" a voice called in from outside the door. Ichigo simply angrily kicked the door closed, causing his father to be knocked onto the ground. "Aw, come on, Ichigo," Isshin Kurosaki said, rubbing the bump on his forehead. "This house is old! Be a little easier on it!" "Says the guy who jumps into my room and onto my bed every morning!" Ichigo said, a vein bulging in anime fashion. "Oh, but this time is special!" Isshin sang, hugging his son and spinning him around, "Meet me in the kitchen! We're going to have a family meeting!" Ichigo walked downstairs, trying to go the kitchen. "Okay, guys!" Isshin said, "Since we're all on break, I decided it might be a good idea for all of us to go down to Misaki City!" "Wooow!" Yuzu said, "It's so big! I always wanted to go there!" Ichigo sighed. "Hey, what about our plans?" Karin said. "Yeah," Ichigo added, "Some of us wanted to spend time with our friends over the week!" "Okay, we'll put it to a vote!" Isshin shouted. "Yuzu and I vote that we go to Misaki City!" "Yeah, right, old man!" Ichigo and Karin shouted, voting against it. There were now two votes either way. "Okay! It's settled!" Isshin said, "We're going to Misaki City!" "What the hell, Dad?" Ichigo shouted, "There were two votes against you!" "But since I'm the head of this family, your vote is overruled!" "What a load of crap!" Karin said, and she and Ichigo tackled Isshin. In any case, somehow they ended up going to Misaki City anyway. "So that's what's happening this week," he said to his friends, "I'm probably not going to be around most of the time, so…" "Don't worry about it," Chad said, "We can handle things while you're gone. And we meet just about every day at school, so there's not much for us over the break anyway." So, Ichigo managed to tolerate the trip for the most part. "Maybe we could come with you!" Orihime suggested. Uryu said that he had better things to do, and Chad said that while he'd like to, someone had to keep Karakura Town under control. They said that they would try to come if they could, but it would probably take them a while.

What Ichigo didn't know about Misaki City was that it was also connected deeply to another world—the Crimson Realm. A boy named Yuji Sakai was killed and replaced by an artificial construct called a "Torch" which had the original being's soul put into it. Yuji was a special type of Torch, called a "Mystes," which had a special quality to it, prompting a female Flame Haze which Yuji named Shana to stick close to him. There were others who wanted Yuji's power, and it was Shana's chosen role to protect him, as well as keeping up with her duty of balancing our world and the Crimson Realm.

Ichigo wandered around town, by himself. Each member of his family decided to go someplace else on their lonesome. He finally went to an arcade, and stepped inside. "Argh! Dammit!" Ichigo shouted, "What the hell? I'm fighting a big fat white mouse?" A brown-haired boy walked up to him, followed at a distance by a small girl with black hair. "If you could keep it down, please, that'd be nice," he said. "Oh, okay, sorry," Ichigo said, laughing. "I've never seen you around here before. What's your name?" the boy asked. "Ichigo Kurosaki. You?" "Yuji Sakai," the brown-haired kid said, "and this is Yukari Hirai." He gestured to the short girl behind him. She had long black hair, with a Fullmetal Alchemist-style antenna sticking up. "Hi," Ichigo said, extending his hand. Hirai just crossed her arms and made a "hmph" sound. "Don't worry, she's always like that," Yuji said. "You're not from here, are you?" he asked Ichigo. "Well, not really," Ichigo said, "I'm just here on vacation." "Oh! Well, I hope you like it here!" Yuji replied. Just then Isshin drove up. "Hey, Ichigo!" he shouted, "Time to go to the hotel!" "Sorry, I gotta go," Ichigo said, rising from his chair. "Bye, Ichigo! Hope I see you again!" Yuji waved, as Ichigo started to walk out. Hirai simply mumbled "Strawberry bastard" under her breath, something that Ichigo heard. "Okay, moe girl!" he said, suddenly turning back and grabbing her by the antenna. "My name's not Strawberry! It means 'one who protects'!" he shouted. Shana suddenly kicked him in the, um, testicular region, and he cringed in pain. "Dammit, girl…" he said under his breath, "That really hurt!" "So did pulling me by my hair!" Hirai said. Ichigo rose. "Don't think I'll forget his, Edward Elric-hairdo!" he said, running out. "Okay, that was weird," Yuji sighed. _It was like he could see Shana instead of her Hirai disguise, _he thought.

Meanwhile, on the ride to the hotel, Isshin turned to Ichigo. "So, that girl with the pigtails kicked your butt, huh?" he said. "Ichigo, what have I told you about harassing girls?" Karin yelled. "Owww..not so loud…" Ichigo started to say, and then paused. "Wait, pigtails?" he said, confused. Hirai wasn't wearing any pigtails! "That girl didn't have any pigtails! She had black hair, with that Edward Elric antenna!" "Now, now, son," Isshin said, "Your father's eyes are still as sharp as the owl! I saw that girl, and I tell you she had violet hair and eyes and had pigtails!" "Ichigo, I think you've been staying up too late at night watching anime! She didn't look anything like that!" Yuzu giggled. Ichigo grumbled. _I only did that once, and that was because Rukia forced me into doing it! _he thought. How Rukia could ever think that anime was a good aspect of human culture was beyond him. But still, he couldn't believe that his dad and Yuzu thought she looked differently than how he saw her. Maybe it was because he could sense spirits…? But then how could they have seen her in the first place! "Oh, I get it," Isshin laughed, "You've been hanging out with so many girls, you get them mixed up sometimes!" "Are you crazy, Dad?" Ichigo yelled, "She was twelve!" "Once again, Ichigo, my eyes are better than yours," Isshin said, "and I tell you she was not twelve! On the contrary, she was around the same age as her companion!" Ichigo sighed. Maybe Karin saw her the way he did…? Judging from her silence, he thought maybe she did, but didn't want to say anything about it. _Well, that answers that question, _he thought, sighing. She'd always be silent like that whenever she saw a ghost. It was because of her refusal to believe in them. _Wish I could use denial as easily as that, _he thought.

Elsewhere, Yuji and Shana returned home. Since Shana had no place to stay (due to Hirai's parents being Torches and losing their existence, it was often assumed Hirai was an orphan) Yuji let her live with him. "Well, that Ichigo guy certainly was nice! I hope we get to meet him again!" Yuji said, laying down. Shana crossed her arms. "I don't trust that strawberry guy!" she said. "It's like he could see me normally!" "Oh," Yuji said, suddenly rising, "You noticed that too?" _"Hmm," _Alastor, the Crimson Lord who communicated with Shana through a pendant, said, _"I also noticed something about him. He's not a Torch, or a Flame Haze, or even someone from the Crimson Realm, but he certainly isn't human either. It felt like his existence was pouring out of him, waiting to separate from his body." _"I'm telling you he's bad news!" Shana said, "We have to keep an eye on him!" Yuji sighed. "Alright," he said, "I guess he is a bit mysterious. I mean, I wanna know what's up with him too, but…" "Then it's settled!" Shana said, "We'll tail that guy and find out what the hell he is!" "Now hold on, Shana," Yuji said, waving his arms at her, "We don't want to rush this—I mean, isn't it a bad idea to—" Shana then took off, dragging Yuji with her. "Hey, Alastor? Can I ask you something?" Yuji suddenly asked. _"Why there's no stopping Shana whenever she has a bad idea?" _the Crimson Lord asked. Yuji nodded. _"I don't know either." _Alastor said.

Meanwhile, Ichigo decided he couldn't take any more of his family's bravado and he went out on a nightly walk. He would never admit it, but he was actually quite glad, to get away from his duties as a Soul Reaper, for just one night. Just as he was breathing in Misaki City's air, enjoying the night along with more than a few other people who were walking around, suddenly he felt something like a tremor. Before his eyes, _it _happened. Ichigo couldn't ever describe it in words _(Note: I can't either. It's like the part in episode 1 where everyone but Yuji is frozen, the background turns red, and then those Denizens came out)_. It looked like reality was warping before his eyes. Something glowing traveled along the ground, and everyone froze in their tracks—not literally, they simply stopped moving. He looked around. "What's going on?" "**Well, well, well," **a voice from above him said, **"Looks like we missed one!" **Ichigo turned and looked above him. Hanging over the sky like something out of a child's nightmare was a marionette hanging on strings and a clown mask floating in the air. **"try not to damage him too much," **the clown mask said in a voice that was awfully piercing (_Note: think Mitsuhide from Sengoku Basara)_ **"this guy's not too normal!" **"You don't know how right you are," Ichigo said, pulling out his Substitute Soul Reaper badge. **"Okay, tough guy," **the puppet said in a high-pitched, shrieking voice that tended to grate on one's nerves _(G1 Starscream/Cobra Commander)_ **"Here's where you get yours!" **He opened his mouth wide and began sucking blue flames out of everyone. Ichigo could feel it—like his entire soul was being pulled out of him. He thought he couldn't take any more of it, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Is that…the girl from before?" he said, trying to look. "Dammit," Shana said, looking down at the event, "I was going to get him to fess up, but those two had to go and cause trouble."


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo felt like he was being sucked up into the abyss. "No!" Yuji shouted, "We gotta help him!" "Forget it," Shana said, "There's no way. It's already too late for him." Meanwhile something odd was happening to the puppet. It was inflating like a balloon. **"H-hey, Mask," **it said, **"Somethin's not right! This guy's got way too much Power of Existence in 'im!" **He exploded, and Ichigo came out of the puppet's body, coughing and wearing a black robe. "Dammit!" he said, "That guy almost sucked the energy out of me!" Yuji was surprised. "I didn't know Ichigo was a Flame Haze," he said. "First I've heard of a Flame Haze with a giant cleaver and hair like that!" Shana added.

"_He's not a Flame Haze," _Alastorsaid, _"I don't sense a Crimson Lord with him. Still_, the_re's something odd about him…"_ Ichigo then got up. He picked up an axe—no, wait, Yuji thought, that was a sword—and pointed at the mask. "Okay, creepy-face," he shouted, "You're next!"

"**I can't believe it," **the mask said, **"Another Flame Haze?" **Ichigo sighed. "I know you're not gonna believe this, but before now I've never even heard of a 'Flame Haze'! Name's Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soul Reaper! The one who's going to kick your ass! How's it going?" He leaped at it, and broke it in two with his sword.

"Nooo! No fair!" A voice called from behind him. Ichigo whirled around to see what appeared to be a skeleton. _(Note: His voice sounds like Imperfect Cell's) _"You've destroyed my puppet!" the skeleton said, making fists and waving his arms up and down. Ichigo just stared at him. "Oh—oop! P-pay no attention to the skeleton behind the puppet!" the skeleton said, hiding behind the smoldering remains of the giant puppet. Ichigo was confused. Was this some kind of Hollow? "Hey, what the hell are you?" he said, looming over the skeleton. "Aaah! Please don't hurt me!" the skeleton said, screaming and begging. Ichigo was beginning to get annoyed. "Are you some kind of Hollow?" he asked, putting his hand on his sword, "'Cause if you are, you're awfully wimpy for one." The skeleton got on his hands and knees.

"I don't even know what a Hollow is!" he shrieked, "Please lower that big scary sword of yours! I'll tell you everything! My name is Skeleton Joe, my boss's name is…."

"**Shut up, Joe," **a deep voice with a mobster accent, **"Yer givin' up vital information!" **Ichigo turned around to see...a floating person in an Al Capone-style outfit, but ridiculously short, even more so than Skeleton Joe, who barely reached Ichigo's knees. "What the hell?" he said, barely containing his laughter. **"Oh, a wise guy, eh?"** the tiny mobster said, angered, **"I got my goons over here to take care of ya!" **At that point, a giant, muscular, ebony-skinned man walked up to Ichigo and looked down at him. Ichigo smirked. "Oh, come on, dude," he said, sighing nonchalantly, "I don't even need my Bankai for you!"

Shana couldn't take it anymore. "I've had enough!" she said, angered, "I've seen enough of what that guy can do!" She jumped down from the top of the building. "Shana, wait!" Yuji shouted, then sighed. "No point in talking her out of it, is there?" he said, shaking his head.

Just as Ichigo was about to give this big guy a Getsuga Tensho he'd never forget, he saw the girl from before jump down from behind the Crimson Denizen. Her hair turned flaming red, and she took out a katana and sliced the giant in two. "Hey!" Ichigo said, "I had that one!" "Shut up and stay out of my way, strawberry bastard!" Shana retorted. "Those guys are gone anyway." Indeed, Joe and the mobster had left. "I have just one question for you," Shana said, "Who the hell are you anyway?" She put her sword to Ichigo's throat. "Now, hold on a minute, girl," an irate Ichigo said, his eye twitching, "That's what _I _should be asking _you!" _he shouted, repeating the action to Shana. Both were ready to cut the other's head off at a moment's notice, until Yuji finally jumped down. "Cut it out, you guys!" he said, getting in between them, "Ichigo, mind explaining who you are, and why you have that ridiculously humongous sword?"

"Fine," Ichigo sighed, "A while back, I met a girl named Rukia Kuchiki, who was a Soul Reaper," he said, taking out a book. "Soul Reapers come from the Soul Society," he said, flipping through the pages so Yuji and Shana could see them (unfortunately, they were Rukia's drawings) "I became a Soul Reaper when Rukia gave me her powers. In this world, there are two types of spirits, which Soul Reapers deal with. Their mission is to 1.) Find "good spirits," called Wholes (he gestured to a rabbit-shaped drawing), who look like humans, and pass them on to the afterlife via Konso, and 2.) Stop "evil spirits," called Hollows (gesturing to the bear-shaped drawing), who wear skull masks and eat the Wholes. We pass both types of ghosts on to the Soul Society in order to keep the balance between the two worlds. Any questions?" Shana raised her hand. "Why do your drawings suck?" she asked. "They're not _my _drawings, you little brat!" Ichigo shouted, holding her up by the antenna as he did before. This time, however, instead of kicking Ichigo in the balls, Shana punched him in the face. "That explanation didn't make an ounce of sense!" she added. "Okay, what about you guys?" Ichigo said, getting back up and nursing the bruise. "This is the first time I've been inside that all-red whatever-it-is!" Alastor sighed. _"Fine," _he said, _"I'll tell you. Hopefully my explanation won't be as confusing as yours." _Ichigo's left eye twitched. "Oh, yeah? And what the hell are you?" he said, shaking the pendant which Alastor's voice came out of. Once again, Shana punched him and knocked him down. As Yuji helped him up, Alastor went on with his explanation. _"Besides this world and the Soul Society you spoke of, there is the Crimson World," _he said, _"It's home to Crimson Denizens, which are what you just saw today. Some of our kind, the Crimson Lords such as myself, bond ourselves with Flame Hazes, such as this girl here, to stop the Denizens from consuming the existences of humans to protect the balance. It's essentially pretty much the same as what you do." _"Oh, okay," Ichigo said, "But what happens if the existences are already eaten?" "I'll show you." Shana said, snapping her fingers. Suddenly, everything changed back into the way it was before the Denizens appeared, with no damage and everyone who was eaten returned to normal. "These guys are Torches. They're built to replace the people whose existences were destroyed so the two worlds don't get an imbalance by hundreds of people dying all at once," Shana explained, not even bothering to look at Ichigo.

"Wait, replace? Are you sure you can do that?" Ichigo said. "Of course!" said Yuji. "They're made from the original existences of their counterparts. I'm a Torch, and Torch or not, I'm still Yuji Sakai. In other words, I'm the same person as the original Yuji Sakai because I don't have any identity other than that." "You can tell if someone's a Torch if it has a flame in its body," Shana went on, "Go on, take a look." Ichigo looked. Indeed, everyone around him seemed to have a light-blue flame in their body.

"Wait a second," he said, "Why'd you say 'it' like they weren't even real?"

"Because they aren't," Shana said, folding her arms. "Torches aren't living. They just have existences."

Ichigo was starting to get angry. "I'm not sure I agree," he said, "If they exist, then they're alive. That's all there is to it. I mean, take a look at that guy," he said, pointing to a small blond boy, barely twelve. "I know him. His name's Timmy. He has a lot of friends, but he's really shy and he doesn't speak much. I know him because he came to the Kurosaki Clinic to treat a breathing illness he was born with. Are you saying he's not real?" Shana sighed. "Just watch. See his flame?" Ichigo looked more carefully, and saw that Timmy's flame was really small. "Hey," he said, "It's so small!" "That means he's about to vanish." Shana said. "Vanish?" Ichigo asked. _"Yes," _Alastor explained, "_Torches only have a limited amount of existence. After that period of existence is over, they vanish and leave no traces in their loved ones' memories. It's like they never even existed." _Ichigo couldn't help but feel sad for Timmy then. Life had treated him so hard, and now it was finally going to end for him, with no chance of getting into the Soul Society. And his friends wouldn't even remember him! That was probably the worst part of it, he thought. Just then, Timmy and a girl vanished, and nobody even noticed. Ichigo started to get a good idea then. "And there's Takeshi Hojo," Yuji said, "I remember him. It looks like his flame's going to burn out too." Indeed, Takeshi vanished, and it was then that Ichigo realized something. How could Hirai—no, Shana—see all of that and not even shed one tear?

"Hey, wait!" he shouted, "That guy just vanished and you're okay with it?" "Of course," Shana replied, "It's only an object. It was going to lose its Existence anyway." Ichigo couldn't take any more of this girl. "You sick brat!" he shouted, grabbing her by her shirt collar. "You can't give someone a second chance by just _replacing _people and then treating the result like they weren't alive! It looked like you fixed everything, but you don't even care about—"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Ugh, you don't get it," Shana said, slapping Ichigo's hand away, "We make the Torches so the balance between the two worlds isn't damaged! That's no different than what you do."

"You're wrong!" Ichigo shouted. "I protect the living, not make a lousy job on the clean-up! These Torches are alive, and you can't just save them only to let them be _ultimately annihilated _later on!" he raised his sword at her. "Do you even know what losing your existence means? If you stop existing, you can't ever come back, and nobody will ever even acknowledge you! That's the worst kind of hell anyone could ever go through! If you can't fix things right, you should just protect the innocent and stop the Denizens _before _they eat the innocent!" He swung his sword down. "Getsuga Tensho!" he shouted. Shana dodged it. "That doesn't work for everyone!" she said, "We can't be everywhere, every time! If we did it any other way, our world and the Crimson Realm would suffer because of it!" She attacked with her sword, which Ichigo blocked. Sparks flew off of both of their swords. _"Wait, Shana," _Alastor said, _"He's stronger than Flame Hazes. You saw how he made such short work of those Denizens, something even Margery Daw couldn't do."_ "I don't care!" Shana said, "He's really pissing me off!" **"You should listen to your little trinket," **Ichigo suddenly said in a Hollowfied voice. _What am I saying? _he thought to himself, _I'm starting to sound just like my inner Hollow! It must be because of that Crimson Realm or whatever the hell that place was!_ "Bankai!" he shouted, trying to stop the Hollowfication by using a different power. Shana was blown away by this transformation. When she looked up, she saw Ichigo in a black coat and carrying a pitch-black katana rather than his cleaver-like sword from earlier. "Tensa Zangetsu," Ichigo whispered.

"_Hmm," _Alastor said, _"That form looks very much like Shana's trenchcoat and sword. I wonder if he isn't at least based on a Flame Haze." _"Forget that now," Shana said, "I'm going to tear him apart!"

"Not likely," Ichigo said, "Tensa Zangetsu: Getsuga Tensho." He swung his sword, and a pure-black Getsuga Tensho came out. Shana blocked it, but it forced her back. "Alright, Flame Haze," he said, "This is my warning: I'm making Misaki City my territory. From now on, I'll handle the balance between the worlds." He darted away.

"Dammit…" Shana said, getting up. "Who the hell does that guy think he is?" _"What concerns me is his power," _Alastorsaid, _"He's able to call forth an extreme amount of power without effort. Coupled with his absolute hatred of our methods, he's very dangerous." _"But hey, at least he's doing it for a good cause, right?" Yuji asked, trying to lighten up the mood. "I mean, of course he's a loose cannon, but…maybe he's right. I mean, I didn't like the idea of Torches losing their existences either." Shana put her sword back in her sheath. "Either way, that guy really pisses me off," she said, her hair turning back to its normal color, "Next time we meet, that bastard's gonna get it!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Well! After my first successful chapter, and a second which nobody seemed to notice except for a few favorites and follows, but no reviews (eh. Guess you can't control these things) I've got a third chapter! Disclaimer is in the first chapter, and in the last chapter you found out the reason for the title, didn't you?**

Ichigo jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Ever since he found out about what the Flame Hazes do, he made up his mind to handle all Crimson Denizens himself. _It's not too different from what Uryu did when we first met, _he thought. _I mean, he thought that Quincies could do the job better, so he did all my work for me in order to prove that. Or am I more like the Soul Reapers? I mean, they wiped out the Quincies because they thought their ways were wrong._ Ichigo sighed. He'd never find the answer to _that _question. And he really didn't feel like thinking about morals or ethics after talking to Shana. She really got on his nerves back there. _Any Soul Reaper would make the same decision as me, _he thought. _Those Flame Hazes aren't doing the job right, so I need to step in and do it for them. We're the _real _protectors of order. _But this lifestyle was taking its toll on him—not only did he have to keep up with Hollows, but he also had to take care of the Denizens. In fact, it felt like he was never in his body for more than ten seconds. _Dammit, _he thought, _at this rate somebody'll find out my secret!_ He thought it might have been easier had there been someone he could trust. Back in Karakura Town, there was always someone else, like Chad or Uryu, who he could trust to deal with Hollows. _No, _he thought, _I can't trust the Flame Haze. _He finally found another Denizen. This time, there were a lot of them. _No way….are they following me? _he thought. "There!" a familiar voice called out, "That's the orange-haired bastard who beat us up!" He looked behind him to see Skeleton Joe and the mobster chasing him. "What the hell, you guys again?" Ichigo shouted. **"Not just them," **another voice called, **"I didn't like the way you destroyed my other body with such short work." **A shadowy….thing approached Ichigo. "I'm sorry…do I know you?" Ichigo asked. **"You don't recognize me?" **the creature said, **"Perhaps you'd remember…this?" **he pulled out a clown mask. "No way…I busted that mask in two pieces!" Ichigo said. **"A mask is simply something that a real being hides behind. And I am the being behind the mask. All beings wear masks…..but which one is real and which is the mask? Is it the one that hides your face, or the one that **_**is **_**your face? Even I don't know the answer to that question!" **the creature laughed.** "I do know, however, that my name is Mask, and that you're quite powerful….powerful enough to merit the attention of every Crimson Denizen that comes to feast on existences!" **Ichigo looked around. Everywhere he looked, there were Crimson Denizens! _Crap, _he thought, _are they all after me? _He attacked one, but then another took advantage of it to attack him. "Getsuga Tensho!" he shouted, destroying several Denizens at once, but there were twice as many there to take their place. "Bankai!" he shouted, and transformed. But no matter how many he took down, there were always more, and using this much power was beginning to wear him out. "Dammit…" he said, out of breath, "Can't…..keep…fighting…." Suddenly Yuji and Shana came to the scene. "Finally caught up with that bastard!" Shana said. "But…it looks like he's in trouble!" Yuji shouted, "We've got to do something!" "It's too late now," Shana said, "with that much power being exhausted like that he's in no shape to fight back. He brought this on himself anyway. That incredible power of existence made him a target for all Denizens." "Are you…serious?" Yuji said, "You mean all of these Denizens here came specifically for him?"

Indeed, all of the Denizens seemed to be focusing solely on Ichigo. Just as he defeated several, another knocked him in the back, and carried him away. "No!" Yuji said, "we've gotta help him!" "It's too late," Shana said, "They've got him now. It's only a matter of time before they take his existence."

"But…"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! We can't help him! Serves him right, anyway. I never liked him."

"_Hmmm," _Alastor said, _"I'm not quite sure of that. Those Denizens took his body away, rather than taking his Power of Existence. Of course, they may be doing it with the intention of eating it later, judging from that extreme amount of power he's got, but…" _

"…No use arguing it further!" Shana said, "Now we have to create a Torch for him." She went to work creating one. Suddenly, another Ichigo appeared. "Hey, wait, what are you guys doing here?" the Torch of Ichigo shouted, "And how the hell did I change back?" _"Hmm," _Alastorsaid, _"It seems that we've got no choice but to tell it the truth." _Ichigo looked surprised at this. "Wait, 'it'?" he asked. "Oh, no, don't tell me…" he fell to his knees. "Am I….a Torch now?" Shana looked down. "Yes," she responded coldly _(Note: Anyone who has a copy of Mega Man Megamix volume 3, flip to the part where Proto Man tells the copy of Mega Man that he's a copy, and you'll have a pretty_ damn good depiction of this part). "AAAAH! NO! NOOOO!" Ichigo cried. "All this time I was the protector of the innocent….and now I don't have my powers anymore!" he said, "I can't live the last moments of my life with that kind of knowledge!" Yuji knelt down to him. "I'm sorry about this," he said, "but I know you died a real hero." "Thanks," Ichigo said, wiping a tear, "But that doesn't make me feel any better." "How about this?" Yuji said, "I only saw them carrying you off. That might mean you're still alive." Shana scoffed at this notion. "It's not likely," she said, "They're Crimson Denizens. They've probably already destroyed the real you." "No!" Ichigo cried, "You're wrong! The real Ichigo…would never die so easily! I refuse to believe he's dead! If I can't do anything to save him, then I don't want to live!"

"That's impossible! Why would you want to try something like that?" Shana said, "He's dead! And going into the Crimson Realm on your own is suicide! You're going to fade in a matter of days, maybe even minutes! Why would you risk your life!"

Ichigo stood up. "That only makes me want to do this even more," he said, "I've got nothing to lose. I'm on borrowed—no. I'm on _stolen _time. Stolen from Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm a fake! I don't deserve to live! But I want the real me to come back, no matter what it takes!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shana shouted. "Ugh, you're just like the real you. I can't let you go there." She reached for him. "Don't touch me!" Ichigo shouted. Shana recoiled in shock. Ichigo's flame was huge! It even towered over him.

Meanwhile, in the Crimson World, the real Ichigo was strapped to a table. "Well, well," said a man with a white suit and carrying a doll, "You're quite the interesting one." Ichigo looked up at his captor. "Aren't you a little old to play with dolls?" he said. _"How dare you speak of my master Friagne like that!" _a young female voice came from the doll. "Hush, hush, Mary Ann," the man said, "Mary Ann is so much more than a doll to me. She's my very life." Ichigo rolled his eyes. This guy was getting _waaayy _too creepy for him. "Hey, where the hell is my sword?" he said, suddenly noticing that he didn't have Tensa Zangetsu with him. "Ah, we've taken it away from you. I want to know why you're so full of energy. With power like that I could make Mary Ann into a true living being, just like a human or a Crimson Denizen. Can you think of anything more noble than helping to create a life?" "Not if it involves sacrificing millions of innocent lives!" Ichigo shouted. "My, such hostility!" Friagne said, "And to think we've only just met. Wolf, you can do as you please with him," he finished, gesturing to an actual anthropomorphic wolf, who grinned maniacally and pushed a button, causing Ichigo to get shocked. "Aaaagh!" he cried. The pain, he thought, he couldn't bear it…..but then if he didn't, then _he _would come out. **"Too late**," a warped and distorted voice came from inside Ichigo's mind, **"I already have come out**!" **"**No!" Ichigo cried. "Stay in! Stay back! Stay…..**out of my business!" **he finished, with an even more creepy and insane smirk on his face. Wolf backed away in shock as a white mask began to form on Ichigo's face.

**Hoo boy! A lot of stuff I was going to put in here ended up on the cutting-room floor! Oh well! Next time: Hollow Ichigo goes rampant, and the Torch of Ichigo tries to contact Rukia!**


	4. Chapter 4

**finally got Chapter 4 up! ****By the way...earlier I said that this entire fanfic was inspired by an RP I had with my friend, but only the Hollow Ichigo scenes in this chapter were actually from the RP. And I lost my side of the RP, so I had to work from scratch and what was left of his lines. Oh well!**

"Lemme go! Lemme go! Let! Me! Go!" Ichigo cried, trying hard to get out of Yuji's restraints. "Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you?" Shana said, "Ichigo's dead, and we can't get into the Crimson World without having a Denizen wreak havoc, so we're not going to rescue him!" "You're wrong! There's no way I'm dead!" Ichigo said, "No, wait, I mean my Torch! No, wait, _I'm_ the Torch!" Yuji sighed. Clearly being a Torch had Ichigo waaay too confused to think straight…. "That does it!" Ichigo cried, "If you're not gonna help me, I'm going to talk to someone who will!" He started dialing Uryu's number. "No!" Shana shouted, slicing Ichigo's cell phone in half. "No contacting people. You can't be trusted, and you can't tell anyone." "Aaaagh!" Ichigo suddenly shouted, "I'm being tortured!" Yuji looked at Shana. "I didn't do anything to him," the Flame Haze coldly replied. "It-it feels like I'm being shocked! S-Someone's poking me with a metal needle!" Ichigo cried. Yuji and Shana just stared at him. "Come _on, _you guys! I'm not faking it here! It really huuurts!" Ichigo shouted. "What's happening to him?" Yuji said. _"It seems that_ _since Ichigo is a Torch of someone who still exists, it feels everything its other self feels," _Alastor explained, _"Everything that's being done to Ichigo in the Crimson Realm is being imposed on to the Ichigo we have here." _"That proves it!" Ichigo said, "We've gotta go to that Crimson Realm and rescue me! I-I mean him! I mean-! Argh, I don't _know _what I mean!" Yuji sighed. "You've gotta let me go after Ichigo! If he's in there too long….his other side will come out!" Ichigo said. Yuji and Shana were shocked. "What do you mean?" Yuji said. "It's nothing. Just another one of his tricks to get us to help him," Shana scoffed. "It's not a trick! I swear!" Ichigo shouted, "If Ichigo's pushed too hard, his inner Hollow comes out!" Yuji was suddenly frightened. "Look, Shana, maybe we should help him," he said, "Whatever he's talking about, it sounds really important." "You don't know how right you are," Ichigo said, then froze. "It…it's too late…." he said, falling to the ground, "He's already free…"

"**A-hahahaha!" **Hollow Ichigo shrieked, pinning Wolf tothe wall. **"Thought you could keep me down, did you? Well, think again!" **He blasted a hole in the wall with a Cero, then proceeded to rampage throughout the entire complex. **"Where's that masked creep and **the **pervert with the doll fetish?" **he shouted, **"Ah, well, doesn't matter anyway. I'm bus**t**ing out of here!"** He proceeded to massacre anythin**g **he came across, tearing through the Crimson Realm. Finally he came across a female Denizen, one who wore a lot of red and black and had her face painted like some kind of harlequin. **"All right, babe," **he smirk**e**d, **"You're my ticket outta here! Open up one of your portals, NOW!" **The Denizen, frightened, tried to attack the masked demon, but Hollow Ichigo simply held her by the wrists. **"Now," **he said softly. The Denizen nodded, opening up a portal.

Yuji looked around. He felt something. Something that radiated absolute terror. "What was that?" he asked. Ichigo looked up. "It's too late…" he said. Shana grabbed him. "What the hell does that mean?" she shouted. Ichigo looked away. "It means that everyone here's going to die. Like you said, there's nothing you can do about it." Yuji rushed over to him and hit him in the face. "Are you even listening to yourself?" he said, "That's not what the old Ichigo would say! What happened to the guy who had a higher set of morals than anyone else?" Ichigo rose. "Yeah, you're right. The old me wouldn't forgive me if I just sat here!" he shouted. Shana sighed. "Look, whatever the hell that is, it's going to cause a huge imbalance between here and the Crimson Realm!" she shouted. _"That is correct," _Alastor added, _"I can sense that the Crimson Realm has been significantly torn apart. If whatever is creating that presence is in the human world…it could further corrupt the balance by destroying everything here." _They instantly took off, hoping to get there before the damage became irreparable.

Suddenly, Yuji and Ichigo stopped. "Hey," Yuji said, "Do you guys feel cold all of a sudden?" "Yeah," Ichigo said, "It's like the air's become poison or something!" Suddenly, the surrounding area became warped as it does whenever a Crimson Denizen comes to the human world. This time, though, there were only two Crimson Denizens, rather small. The first wore chiefly red and black and wore harlequin makeup, with black markings around her eyes, a teardrop, red lipstick, chalk-white skin, and black hair tied into pigtails. The second, however, was quite menacing. It was clearly Ichigo, but his face had been partially covered with a white skull mask with black markings. His expression had changed to a smile full of sadistic intentions, and the whites of his eyes were black while his pupils were yellow. "Is that….me?" the torch of Ichigo said. The other Ichigo smiled. He licked the Denizen. "**This chick's been real useful to me," **he said, **"But unfortunately, I don't need her anymore. I'm just going to throw her away like the unwanted rag that she is."** He stuck his hand through her body and then tore her head off with his teeth. Yuji winced. He'd never seen anyone being treated so brutally, not even a Crimson Denizen! **"Alright, then," **Hollow Ichigo smiled, **"It's time for me to have some fun! That Torch over there looks like a good target…" **The Torch in question was a red-haired girl, who looked terrified. **"I'm going to eat it!" **He opened his mouth, and fired a black and red beam, destroying not only the Torch, but several other people. _"Hmm," _Alastor stated, _"There's something different about him. Earlier he had such a high regard for life that he criticized your attitude towards Torches, but now he's destroying everything like he doesn't _even care about anyone that he harms." "Hey! Strawberry brat!" Shana shouted. "Why the sudden change in philosophy?" Hollow Ichigo looked down at her. **"Ichigo, a brat?" **he asked, **"As opposed to whom…you? Pfhahahahahaha!" **Shana growled. She hated to be reminded of the fact that Ichigo was quite older than her physically and had beat her several times. "You might have tore through me when you were sane, but I'm taking you down now!" she shouted, trying to keep her confidence. _"Wait, Shana," _Alastor said, _"He's different than before. I can feel it. You _are _different, aren't you?" _he continued, addressing Hollow Ichigo, _"That's why you attacked that Torch while Ichigo couldn't stand the notion that their Existences fade." _**"Tcheh! Whaddya know?" **Hollow Ichigo smirked, **"Not every day we meet someone sharp enough to 'see past the mask,' as it were. They don't usually figure out that I'm someone else altogether, if at all, until much later…when I'm ripping them to shreds!" **He lunged at Shana, creating a sword which Shana blocked. He then smiled intensely, as his mask now extended and covered his entire face, with horns jutting out from the side. **"Point-Blank Cero!" **he shouted. Shana was immediately thrown back. "You bastard…." Shana grunted, trying to get up, "The other you might have pissed me off, but you're an absolute heartless monster! You're just like the Denizens!" **"You don't know how wrong you are….I'M SO MUCH MORE THAN ANY DENIZEN!" **Hollow Ichigo shouted, his Hollowfication becoming complete. _"You may be more powerful, but your intentions remain the same." _Alastor said, _"The true Ichigo had such a high regard for life that he criticized Shana's actions, but your actions will cause an imbalance, especially with the damage you've caused to the Crimson Realm." _**"Hey, I was just lookin' to** **escape that place. Not too hospitable. Doesn't mean I can't have my fun in the process!" **He laughed. **"And 'til Ichigo recovers. Didn't think he'd actually need me to save his ass, to be honest…" **"Well, you're going to need _him _when I'm through with you!" Shana cried, rushing to him. Hollow Ichigo simply knocked her away with one hand. "No! Stop!" Yuji cried. "You've caused enough damage! Can't you see that your actions will cause an imbalance? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Hollow Ichigo walked up to him. **"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" **he said, smirking. **"Me being part of Ichigo and all. But nope, just stayin' alive. And if I were **_**you, **_**kid…." **he said, leaning towards Yuji, **"I'd be on my knees, thanking my lucky stars that my Hollowfication wasn't triggered by anger on Ichigo's part. Then you'd REALLY be screwed!" **The other Ichigo had had enough. "Hey, stop that!" he said, hitting his Hollow counterpart over the head with a metal bat. "I can't let you do this anymore!" Hollow Ichigo rose and looked up at him. **"Well, well, what have we here? A copy of Ichigo?" **he laughed. **"You're not the King. You're not **_**anything. **_**You're just a****weak, little nobody who only exists to be a stand-in. A substitute. Shana's right, you are nothing but an object." **"I may be a Torch," Ichigo said, "I may not be the real Ichigo! I may not even have any powers! But I can still stop you!" He reached for Hollow Ichigo's mask. **"You idiot!" **Hollow Ichigo cried, **"What the hell are you doing?" **"Getting the real Ichigo back!" the Torch retorted. **"Alright, you asked for it!" **Hollow Ichigo shouted. **"Point Blank Cero!" **But it was too late. Ichigo had already begun to tear Hollow Ichigo's mask off, staring into his own face like a twisted mirror. Hollow Ichigo screamed in pain. Then, four blasts struck him from behind. Five people appeared on the rooftop.

A blond woman, who was well-endowed, and wore glasses and carried a green book with her.

A young man about Ichigo's age, with dark hair and glasses, wearing a white outfit, and carrying a blue glowing bow of energy.

A Hispanic man who was quite muscular, and had some sort of armor going around his arms.

A large-breasted girl with red hair and flower-shaped crystal barrettes.

And a small girl in a black kimono.

**Okay! Things are starting to heat up! Can you recognize everyone in the ending? If so, don't be afraid to say so!**


	5. Chapter 5

Shana struggled, trying to get up. Five people had taken down Ichigo right before her eyes. She recognized only one of them—Margery Daw, a well-endowed blond woman with glasses—but the others were completely unknown to her.

"Honestly, Shana, you're too weak," Margery said, "If I didn't show up you'd be dead. Now get out of the way and let me take care of him."

"No!" Yuji said, "He's not a Denizen! He's a friend!"

"Get out of the way, kid," Margery said, turning to him, "It doesn't matter whether he's a Denizen or not. He's breaking up the balance! I have to finish him off!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't," the man with the glasses spoke up, "We need him." "Oh, and who are you?" Margery asked.

"That's not important right now," the large Hispanic man said, "I don't know who you are, but we need that orange-haired one, alive."

"And what are you going to do with him?" Yuji said, eyeing the newcomers suspiciously. Ichigo had been so damaged, he didn't know if he trusted these people or not. Shana was also eyeing them intently.

"Oh, shut up!" the black-haired girl said, "It's clear you don't know what's going on, so just hand him over to us already!"

"No!" Yuji said, "He's hurt way too bad! If you want him, you'll have to deal with me first!"

"Calm down," the Hispanic man said, "It's clear you don't understand everything that's happening, or who we are, so let's just…"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shana said, raising her sword. "I'm dealing with him. So don't get in my way!"

The red-haired girl sighed. "Please, just let my friends take care of Ichigo!" she said, "We're really the only ones who can—"

"Shut the hell up, little girl," Margery said, "What's the big deal? He's a Denizen! We need to kill him already!"

"No!" the Torch of Ichigo said, running up to Margery. "What the hell is your problem?" he shouted to her, "It's not all black and white! Just because of what the real Ichigo seemed to be, you think he's evil! But that isn't any indication of who he _really _is!"

"You're getting on my _nerves!" _Margery said, slapping him aside. "What do you know about it anyway? You're just a Torch!"

"**N-Nah, the kid's cool," **Hollow Ichigo said, getting up, **"He tried to get Ichigo back, knowing he'd likely die. Anyway, that blast did me in, so…." **He began to pull off his mask. "I'll….decide….what that guy's….made of….and lacks!" the real Ichigo shouted, finally getting the mask off. "Those guys over there are my friends," he said, pointing to the four that Shana and Yuji didn't recognize, "If it weren't for their interference, I wouldn't have gotten back to normal. I can't vouch for the lady, but…." he fainted.

"Pathetic." Margery said, "Just pathetic. I've wasted a trip." She sped off.

"Alright," Yuji sighed, deciding to trust these newcomers, "We need to get him to my home. Can the big guy help out?"

"Oh, don't worry about that!" the big-breasted woman said, "I'll just heal him right here! Shuno! Ayame! Soten Kishun! I…..reject!" she shouted. Suddenly, Ichigo was surrounded by an orb of energy, and it looked to Yuji like he was being healed. Ichigo woke up. "Thanks, Orihime…." he said, rubbing his head, "There's just one thing, though…."

"What's that?" the other Ichigo said, leaning in.

"YOU!" the first Ichigo shouted, pointing at him. "What the hell, Kon? How'd you get here?"

"I'm not Kon!" the second Ichigo shouted, grabbing Ichigo by the collar. "I happened when that lady made a Torch of you!"

"_That should actually be impossible," _Alastor said, speaking up. _"If Ichigo wasn't actually consumed, there shouldn't have been anything to replace." _

"I think I can answer that," the second Ichigo said, sitting down, "Ichigo's soul is separate from his body, and it was his body that was attacked, so they probably used that to create me."

"Oh, will you shut up, Nigo?" Shana said, deciding she couldn't take two Ichigos.

"Wait, Nigo?" the second Ichigo shouted.

"Yeah, Nigo," Shana said, not even looking at either Ichigo. "I've got to call you something now that the real Ichigo's back, right?"

"It actually makes sense," Uryu spoke up, "Ichigo's name contains 'Ichi,' which means one, so Nigo has to have a name with the syllable 'Ni,' meaning two."

"But….but that name sucks!" Nigo said, his head down. "It means 'Two who protect,' right? That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Oh, Nigo-kun," Orihime said, "It's a really cute name! I like it!"

"You….you think so?" Nigo said, blushing.

"Okay, but one more thing," Ichigo said, "I don't have Zangetsu…"

**Hoo-wee! That could have been written** **better. I did, however, improve on my spacing as per a reviewer's criticism. And this is my answer to another reviewer's suggestion for a pairing: NO! I'm focusing on the main story at hand. Of course Toshiro's gonna show up, along with Renji, Byakuya, Retsu and Kenpachi, but I'm not going to do pairings! Besides, we know who she ends up with…**


	6. The Wounded King

**Mr. 96 is back, after a week or two of not being able to update! Here's the new chapter, even though by now I am fully confident that nobody is paying attention to this fic anymore.**

**By the way, I did not make Keiichi Maebara up. He and his wife are from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.**

"What am I gonna do now that my body has a mind of its own and I've lost my Zanpaku-To?" Ichigo wailed. He was just getting used to the fact that there was another him, so having his Zanpaku-To stolen was a little too much for him.

"Urusai, urusai, urusai!" Shana yelled, kicking him in the back of the head. "You brought this on yourself, so I'm not helping," she said.

"Can't you use Kido?" Orihime asked. "Well, that's an interesting story," Ichigo said, "I have a problem with Kido." Rukia sighed. "Ugh, don't remind me!" she said, "I have enough bad memories of teaching you as it is!"

"What happens when you try?" Yuji asked. He didn't know what Kido was, but he was wondering why Ichigo couldn't do it.

"Kido is a type of spell that only Soul Reapers can use," Ichigo explained. "See, Rukia tried to teach it to me when I first got my powers, but whenever I tried I ended up blowing up an entire building. The thing was condemned anyway, but…" "…..He even has a problem with non-destructive Kido!" Nigo continued.

"Aw, c'mon, that can't be true," Yuji said, "Come on, try one on me."

"Alright," Ichigo sighed. He took a deep breath. "Bakudo number 1: Sai!" he shouted, drawing a star shape in the air with his finger. Suddenly, Yuji's arms were forced behind his back, but then they stretched and twisted around, far beyond the human body's actual capacities. "O-ooowww! That really hurts!" Yuji cried.

Rukia touched him and released him. "Whenever Ichigo does Kido, he puts way too much spiritual energy into it," she sighed, "and it ends up doing more harm than good. It also leaves him really drained. That's why I told him to forget about it."

"So what are you going to do?" Yuji asked.

"I guess I'm going to have to get a new Zanpaku-To," Ichigo sighed, "That is until I can get Zangetsu back. I don't think I can do it like I am now."

"But that's impossible!" Rukia shouted. "Every Soul Reaper has only one Zanpaku-To, exclusive to them! In order to get another one, you'd have to make it yourself!"

"And why can't I?" Ichigo asked.

"Because the forge for creating Zanpaku-To has been broken down!" she shouted. "The Seishin-Ro hasn't been seen for centuries!"

"_Wait a minute," _Alastor said, _"Did you just say the 'Seishin-Ro'?"_

"Yeah, why?" Rukia asked.

"_Because the Seishin-Ro is actually from the Crimson Realm. I've heard of it being made into a Treasure Tool, so it's possible that it's been put into a Mystes."_

"Well?" Ichigo asked. "Where would I find one?"

"It's not that simple," Yuji said, "There's no way of telling if any Torch is a Mystes, much less if we don't know what it is. Finding a Treasure Tool is really difficult."

"Anyway, I came to Misaki City because I heard that the Wounded King was transferred here," Chad said, "I was going to visit him."

"Wait….the Wounded King?" Ichigo asked. "He's here?"

"Who are you guys talking about?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo sighed. "Back in the Kurosaki Clinic, we had a room for anyone who had to stay with us long-term. Since whoever was there was usually treated more specially than the others, we called whoever was there the Wounded King, after the Arthurian Legend. Timmy was one of them. Are you talking about the insane one?"

Chad nodded. "He's here with his wife. I was gonna stop by his place, mind coming along?"

Ichigo sighed. "I'd love to, but it's kind of difficult with the fact that my body has just gained a mind of its own!" he said, jabbing his thumb at Nigo.

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Rukia said, "I'll just make another Gigai for you!"

"I'm not going into a fake body!" Ichigo shouted.

"It…might not be necessary," Nigo said, "Hey!" he shouted to Shana. "Can I give my existence to people?"

Shana sighed. "It's possible," she said, "But I don't see why you'd do it. You'd only delay the inevitable."

"Well then, I might as well give you enough power to make your spiritual body physical!" Nigo said, putting a hand on Ichigo's heart and grabbing his wrist. Suddenly, Ichigo felt flames seeping into his body.

"That's a weird trick," Ichigo said, noticing that his clothes had changed back into his human clothing, "How'd you do that?"

"Nigo's weird," Shana sighed, "First he was a Torch of someone that still existed, then he can do that? Sometimes I don't think he's even a Torch."

"Urusai! Urusai! Urusai!" Ichigo and Nigo yelled, pushing her down. "Ha! Beat you to it, Ichigo!" Nigo yelled, with a thumbs up. "Are you kidding? I couldn't wait to say that to her!" Ichigo said, also giving Nigo a thumbs up.

Uryu was shaking his head at the sight. "Ugh, one Ichigo is enough to deal with. Now I have to put up with two?"

Shortly afterwards, the group had gone to the Misaki City mental hospital. "Hello?" Chad asked. "Mrs. Maebara?" A blue-haired girl stepped out of the room. "Oh," she said, "It's you. Come on in," she finished, beckoning in. "Rika….who are they?" a man in a bed screamed.

"Calm down, Keiichi," Ichigo said, "It's me, Ichigo. Remember?"

The brown-haired man calmed down. "Yes….Ichigo…." he said, "I remember you."

"We came to see how you were doing," Chad said, "I know it's been rough, but…."

"Rough? _Rough? _I killed my two best friends! You call that rough?"

Chad sighed. "Let's step out of the room," he said, "We'll be back to check on him, Mrs. Maebara."

"Who was that guy?" Yuji asked. He had been put off slightly by Keiichi.

"About a while back, we got a call about a psycho named Keiichi Maebara. Age 35. Asylum said they didn't have room for him. Apparently, when he was a teenager he killed his girlfriend and her best friend, and tried to kill himself. So, they put him into therapy. I don't think they've gotten anywhere in twenty years."

"Twenty years?" Yuji shouted, "That long?"

"Yeah," Chad said, "So, in order to help his recovery, an old friend of his named Rika Furude came in and married him, even though she's about five or six years younger than him. She's allowed to stay by his side even in mental hospitals." He and Ichigo nodded. "I've been visiting him every once in a while, but…"

"Maybe the problem is the fact that there are those two ladies floating around him?" Nigo asked, "Or did any of you bother to point that out?"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, "I didn't see anyone." The rest of the group shook their heads.

"What is up with you guys?" Nigo shouted, "Is it screw-with-Ichigo day or something?"  
_"I'm _Ichigo, you idiot!" Ichigo shouted, "And believe me, I was thinking the exact same thing all day long. But still, I didn't see anything."

Meanwhile, in the room, Rika handed a glass to Keiichi. "Maybe you shouldn't have sent them out, Keiichi," she said, "They were trying to be friendly. You need to find more friends, so you can move on."

"Are you suggesting that I forget about Rena and Mion?" Keiichi asked, "Because I've already tried when I married you. It can't be done."

"_You should listen to her, Keiichi-kun," _a voice came out of nowhere. Keiichi hated it when this happened. He heard the voices of Rena and Mion, saw their images, but it was all a hallucination. "I can't…I just can't…." he said, "I'm too dangerous. I'm a murderer. How can I live with what I've done?" _"Come on, Keiichi," _another voice shouted, _"You need to get out more! I don't think you should waste time mourning! You've got to go out and meet new friends!"_

"I'd like to, but…." Keiichi paused, "You know what would happen if I did."

**Mr. 96: Finished! For this week, I mean. Anyway, it looks like Keiichi has a dark secret. Tune in next time to find out!**

**And, also, a sad note: I got a review from a guest saying, "This fucking sucks, dick." To which I say: I don't mind people hating on me, so long as they tell me why!**


	7. Across the LineMake a Move

**mr. 96: Okay, folks! You would not believe how hard it was to make this! I kept deleting my own changes to it! But I managed to pull this one off. By the way, I'm looking for someone to write a rewrite of this fic, since I'm quite embarrassed by the lack of quality in this work. The conditions of writing this rewrite will be given in the next chapter.**

**P.S. - While reading the fight scene, please play "Across the Line" by Linkin Park or "Make a Move" by Icon for Hire to achieve the desired effect.**

"Okay, so how do I get to this 'Seishin-Ro' or whatever the hell it's called?" Ichigo asked.

"I honestly don't know, Ichigo," Rukia replied, "All I know is that someone creates and forges all of the Zanpaku-To by himself, and if anyone else has to do it, the only way they can is with the Seishin-Ro. But that isn't even in the Soul Society to begin with."

"_That's because it's actually from the Crimson Realm, as I explained," _Alastor said, _"Just like Yuji's Midnight Lost Child, it can be put into a Mystes."_

"How can that be right?" Ichigo asked, "I thought neither world knew about each other!"

"So did I. But then again, I didn't even know that the Seishin-Ro could even be used to forge Zanpaku-To or whatever they're called." Shana said from the back.

Suddenly, Nigo stopped in his tracks. "Hey, guys," he said, "Do you feel something?"

"Yeah," Rukia said, checking her Soul Pager, "There's a Hollow in the area. Everyone, get ready!"

"Wait!" Yuji said, "What's a Hollow?"

"There's no time to explain! Just get out of here!" Ichigo said, just as a skull-masked creature walking like an ape came out from behind a building. It had a hole in the middle of its chest, right where its heart would have been. Yuji gasped. That thing had to be scarier-looking than any Denizen he'd ever seen!

"Does that answer your question?" Nigo said, hurrying Yuji out of harm's way. The Hollow tried to punch Orihime, but was stopped by her shield.

"Stay out of this one, guys!" Ichigo shouted, reaching for Zangetsu...until he remembered that Zangetsu was stolen. "Agh! Dammit!" he shouted. "What the hell can I do now?"

"You just sit back and watch," Shana said, pushing past him, "You took out a ton of Denizens, so now it's _my _turn to mess with _your _job!"

She cut off one of the Hollow's arms, and was about to stab it in the heart, but her sword went straight through the hole in its chest.

"You idiot!" Rukia shouted. "Aim for the head! It's the weakest part of the body!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shana shouted back. "I've had enough of you Soul Reapers meddling in my business!"

_"They're right, Shana," _Alastor said, _"You should incapacitate the head before-"_

**"Too late for that now," **the Hollow said, its arm reattaching. It moved to punch Shana, but a figure jumped from a rooftop and cut its hand off with a cleaver.

**"Aagh! M-My hand isn't coming back on!" **the Hollow shrieked, wailing and moving away from Shana. Everyone took a good look at the newcomer. His face was clouded by a pitch-black darkness that covered his face entirely, except for his eyes and the inside of his mouth, which were glowing red and stretched into a twisted smile. Everyone thought he looked like a jack-o-lantern at night. In his left hand he held a baseball bat, and in his right hand he held a cleaver. But the most striking and eerie thing about him wasn't something about his appearance, but the atmosphere he gave off. Yuji and Ichigo could practically feel a sense of absolute terror because of the bloodlust this guy was radiating...!

**"You've got a lotta nerve, brat!" **the Hollow said, **"Now you're gonna get it! Nobody messes with one of my meals!" **He tried to crush the newcomer with his hand, but was blocked by the metal bat. The figure, breaking his own silence with a blood-curdling shriek, knocked the Hollow's hand away and jumped up, splitting the Hollow's head open with the cleaver. The figure then laughed maniacally as the Hollow dissolved, like the killer

Nigo gulped. He'd seen a lot of horrifying things through Ichigo, but this guy was brutal...!

The figure looked at Nigo and the others, then sighed. "This isn't satisfying anymore..."he said, in a raspy, metallic voice. He turned to leave, but as he did, the black fog and red glow covering his face was removed, although no one could manage to see his face except for Chad.

"You notice his face?" Chad asked.

"What are you talking about?" Uryu asked. "We didn't get a chance to see his face, dude," Ichigo added.

"I could have sworn that was Keiichi Maebara..." Chad finished.


	8. Uso Da!

**Mr. 96: This chapter is out of frustration from lack of info on Super Smash Brothers 4, Sonic Lost World, and the ridiculous hiatus my favorite shows have decided to go on! RRUGH!**

**Anyway, to answer one reviewer's question, this is after the Winter War. As well as the XCution arc. Let me say this flat out now, I will be using the XCution's first names when mentioning them. Also, please note that Renji recently came to the world of the living. Nevermind when he did that.**

**Let me also explain Nigo, since he's the result of a lack of knowledge on Shakugan no Shana on my part. Normally Torches can't be made for someone who isn't actually consumed, since there'd be nothing to replace, but Shana found Ichigo's empty body and turned that into Nigo. Make sense now?**

**Also, Keiichi will be explained in detail at a later time. For now, see if you can't pick out the references to the series he's from, as well as trying to guess what's going to happen next.**

**Disclaimer: I own no series in this work.**

"Okay, are you sure that was Keiichi Maebara, Chad?" Ichigo asked. He was very annoyed to have been voted out on whether they should look into Maebara or focus on getting Ichigo's Zanpaku-To.

"Positive. I really want to look into it, but I'm not sure if we can get any information from him out of it," Chad said.

"I see. Normally, I'd beat the crap out of him, but…." Ichigo sighed. "Now that Zangetsu's gone, I haven't heard anything from my inner Hollow either. Guess he wasn't kidding when he said they were the same guy..."

"Are you really out of the count for good, Ichigo?" Uryu asked, "What about your Fullbring? I know Kugo said he drained it from you, but it clearly had an influence on your Soul Reaper powers. Maybe it's still in you."

"I know it is, Uryu, I've used it a few times recently," Ichigo said, "But the thing is, that power was exclusive to my body. It could be exclusive to Nigo now."

"Don't say that!" Nigo said, "I think Torches can't have powers like that. Besides, I'm gonna fade anyway. You'll get your body back."

"Thanks, but I think I'll wait to get my body back," Ichigo said, "What matters to me now is getting Zangetsu back."

"And I still say we should check this guy out," Yuji said, "Can we wait a while? I mean, it's not like you're the only one who can take him on, if need be."

Ichigo sighed. "Alright," he said, "But we're just going to go talk to him. I don't think it'd be a good idea to try and fight him."

"But wait a minute," Nigo said, "Wouldn't it be a little intimidating to just all come at once?"

"Hey, good point!" Ichigo said, "I think I'm gonna go search around town for whoever has it."

"Oh, no you don't!" Shana shouted, "I'm going with you. You don't know how to sense which Torches are Mystes yet. Besides, you need someone to help you with training now that you're hopeless."

"Oh yeah? You think I can't handle myself without my Zanpaku-To?" Ichigo shouted, his eye twitching.

"Of course I do, strawberry asshole!" Shana retorted back.

"Shorty!"

"Carrot-piss hair!"

"Brat!"

"Tangerine head!"

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?" both shouted at the same time, leading into a fight.

Nigo sighed, "We'd better leave them to fight it out," he said, turning to leave.

"I'll stay behind, too," Renji said, "If they're gonna do some training, I'd better help out."

Soon, Nigo, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Orihime, and Yuji were at Keiichi Maebara's hospital room. Nigo knocked on the door, and as usual Mrs. Maebara opened the door. "Excuse me," Chad said, "We're here to see Keiichi again?"

"I'm sorry," Rika said, "He's not seeing anyone today."

"It's all right. Let them in," a voice called from the room.

"B….but….!" Mrs. Maebara said, becoming incredibly worried, "Keiichi said…..that…..right." She calmed down, and turned to her guests. "You can go in now," she said. Everyone looked at her with a rather surprised expression on their faces. What just happened….?

"Ahem!" Keiichi said, coming out, "You wanted to see me?" he said, breaking their thought.

"Well, we just…." Nigo started, but didn't know how to put what he wanted to say, "D'you….y'know…ever go out of your hospital room much?"

Keiichi sighed. He knew perfectly well what they wanted to know, but he really didn't want to tell them about it. "I don't actually live here, you know," he said, "I move a lot. But every once in a while, I need to check myself in here due to my problems."

Yuji could feel something was off about this guy. Was there something he was leaving out….?

"I know what you're thinking," Keiichi said, leaning closer to Yuji. "Am I leaving something out? Well, aren't you leaving something out too? Aren't you lying about something?"

"What are you talking about?" Rukia said, getting nervous, "We're not lying to you about anything!"

"LIAR!" Keiichi shouted, suddenly getting mad. "Just like how you keep secrets about yourselves, I have a lot of secrets myself. And I know, ohh yes, I know what you're hiding." He smiled. "Isn't that right, _Reaper? Torch? _Don't you have secrets that you don't want other people knowing?" He looked at Yuji and Rukia specifically as he was speaking to them. Everyone flinched at these words. This guy really knew who they were….!

Mrs. Maebara pulled Keiichi's arm at this. "Come on, Keiichi, don't do this here!" she said, "Just calm down!"

Keiichi seemed to calm down at this, though he turned to look at Nigo. "Tell that orange-haired friend of yours that I have the answer to the one thing he wants the most," he said, and closed the door shut on them.

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Shana were "training" by Shana swinging her Nietono no Shana at Ichigo. "Just fight back already!" Shana shouted, irritated by Ichigo's lack of aggression.

"Are you crazy? I can't fight back!" Ichigo shouted back, dodging every sword blow. "There's no way for me to fight without Zangetsu! What's the point of all this?"

"Isn't that obvious? Without your sword, you're useless," Shana said, "If you're attacked, and you will be because of your immense power, you'll be done for. And next time, I won't be able to create another Torch of you."

At the mention of Nigo, Ichigo suddenly stopped moving around. "Wait a second!" he said.

"No time-outs, strawberry brat!" Shana said, hitting Ichigo flat in the chest with the back of her sword. Ichigo fell to the ground, while Renji was laughing hysterically.

"Seriously, Ichigo, I didn't know you were so wimpy!" he shouted. But Ichigo didn't pay any attention. Instead, he got up, put a hand to his forehead, and turned away from Shana and Renji.

"Keiichi Maebara…he knows about us!" he said, his voice sounding shaky.

"What? Are you sure?" Shana asked.

"And how the hell do you know that?" Renji added.

"I don't know….I could see myself there, with Rukia and the others….he said he has the answer to the question I want to know about!" Ichigo said.

Alastor sighed. _"I understand,"_ he said, _"When that Torch of you first appeared, it felt you being tortured when you were in the Crimson Realm. You must probably also have the connection to it."_

"So does that mean…I feel what Nigo feels?" Ichigo asked. "Man, this keeps getting weirder…."

**mr. 96: Whoo! That was a tough one to write. Anyway, the rules to writing the remake are as follows:**

**Only a select few of my ideas may be used. These will be revealed at a later time**

**You must simplify the story from what I did. Any added details must be run by me before putting them in.**

**You must watch at least twenty to thirty episodes of Shakugan no Shana and any amount of Bleach episodes before writing this.**

**Everyone who fights in Shakugan no Shana has a title, as you've probably noticed. Ichigo's is "The King of Black and White," and you must use that in some way.**

**Before writing it, PM me about the basic summary of it, and I mean a more detailed one than what you're actually gonna write if and when you upload it.**


	9. When They Cry (Part 1)

**Mr. 96: Updating is going extremely fast due to the fact that I'm pissed no one reviewed my latest chapter! Seriously, those comments are what keep me aliiiiive….! Anyway, it's vitally important that you at least give me some feedback, because without it I can't keep the story going! That's right, there's going to be a poll regarding this question: Should Keiichi Maebara die in the next chapter or should I keep him around? If you can't find the poll, I'll be happy to accept reviews regarding this!**

This type of text is for normal speech and narration

_This type of text is for thoughts_

[This type of text is for Ichigo's and Nigo's flashes]

**And since every decent anime crossover series has to have a theme song, here's mine! (pause) Oh, what were you expecting from me, something original?**

(Opening Theme: Black Paper Moon)

_(as the guitar solo commences, Zangetsu falls out of Ichigo's hands, the sky turns into night as we get a look at the sky, and the words "Ultimately Annihilated" come up in Japanese kanji behind a background of stained glass. Look up the translation, if you will.)_

**I'm Falling Down into my Shadow, iki wo hisomete, matteiru Deadly Night**

_(Ichigo and Shana clash swords high above the ground, then Nigo appears on the sidewalk in a burst of flame and looks above, scared, as Friagne appears above Ichigo and Shana.)_

**Don't Scary majo ga egaita, kabocha no basha mo, sono me ni utuseru kara**

_(Yuji stands in a windy background, shifts to Keiichi and then image melts to form Mask)_

**See You in Your Dreams, Yeah Baby kowai yume da to shitemo**

_(Ichigo and Nigo dance with Rukia and Orihime, respectively, while Keiichi looks down on them from a rooftop, his face quickly turning dark with his eyes and the inside of his mouth glowing red)_

**Fairy Blue, kimi no tame ni hoshi wo kudaki, kazarituketa, Black Paper Moon**

_(Ichigo pulls out a small ornate black sword with angel-type designs from the stomach of a brown-haired teenager wearing a vest and a stubble, then leaps up and clashes with Keiichi)_

**Shinjite Kureta nara! When You're Lost "Here" I am… "Forever" With Your Soul**

_(Keiichi cries out as his blood flies everywhere and he falls down, Ichigo rips Zangetsu out of Friagne's stomach and tears him apart with it)_

**Miagereba kagayaku tsuki no youni**

_(Ichigo looks up in a faded dark sky as an androgynous being wearing black with wings looks down at him.)_

Yuji, Rukia, Chad, Uryu, and Orihime ran to Yuji's house, and went straight up to Yuji's room, where Ichigo and Shana were sitting. "Ichigo, this is important!" Rukia said, "Keiichi Maebara…"

"Let me guess, he knows about us and wants to give strawberry jerk here the answer to where to find the Seishin-Ro, am I right?" Shana said, not even looking up.

"Whoah, how'd you know that?" Yuji asked.

"I saw everything. I guess Nigo's memories must be transferred to me," Ichigo said, "It's not pretty…Anyway, I've made up my mind. I've gotta meet him."

"W….wait, Ichigo! He's dangerous!" Rukia shouted, grabbing him. "If you fight him, you'll get killed! I don't want to see that happen to someone….again…" Tears welled up in her eyes, which Nigo immediately noticed.

_Well, it looks like she did feel something for Ichigo after all. Not that I mind, _he thought, _Means I get Orihime to myself._ He smiled at the thought. _I knew that Ichigo had trouble deciding between them, but that's not a problem when there's two of him! …Or me, depending on your viewpoint._

"I have to go, Rukia," Ichigo said, "I need Zangetsu to beat that creep Friagne! And to do that, I need the Seishin-Ro!" He looked at her. "Don't worry…I don't intend to die soon! If that guy wants to talk to me, I'll talk to him!"

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Keiichi walked by an old man with a top hat and a gray moustache. "Ah, Lamies," Keiichi said, "So you're running away from Margery Daw again, is that right?"

"Quite so," the old man said, "Although that is merely part of what I'm doing here. It actually seems that the King of Black and White has become weaker. Even so, are you really going to meet him?"

"Of course," Keiichi said, nodding to Lamies, "I've done so many horrible things…..He's going to be the one to bring me to justice, that is my hope."

"Surely you can't mean something like that?" Lamies asked, looking up at him, "What of your wife? Surely Rika has some attachment to you?"

"No," Keiichi said simply, "I chose her because I had to. There was no other way. I never asked for her, and she only asked for me because she knew what would happen if she didn't."

Lamies sighed. "It seems that you are right to wish to die, then," he said simply, "But know that you will never make up for your sins simply by dying."

"It's not the dying that will help me to repent," Keiichi said, "I'm going to help Ichigo Kurosaki regain what he has lost. That will be my apology to them."

Lamies sighed again, and walked away.

Soon, Ichigo had shown up at the train station where Keiichi said to meet him at. Right when he got there, Keiichi immediately walked up to him. "Ah, you came after all," he said, "have you made your decision?"

"Yes," Ichigo said, "I want my powers back! I need you to tell me where the Seishin-Ro is!"

"That," Keiichi said, "Is what I have intended for a very long time."

"But before you do, why don't you start off by telling me a bit more about yourself?" Ichigo asked, remembering what he saw from Nigo.

"What's there to tell you?" Keiichi asked, a false smile on his face, "My name is Keiichi Maebara. I'm married to Rika Furude. I'm from Hinamizawa, I was born in 1968, and I move a lot."

"That's not what I mean, dammit!" Ichigo shouted, holding Keiichi by the collar. "You move a lot because you need the psychological therapy! Why the hell do you need that?"

Keiichi started crying at this. "Hinamizawa….. My home… it burned down." He looked up. "My wife and I were the only ones to escape. My family…My friends…..the woman I loved before Rika….they all died."

Ichigo almost felt sorry for Keiichi Maebara, but then he started getting images in his mind.

[Yuji sat down at a table with Mrs. Maebara. "So Keiichi wasn't born in Hinamizawa?" he asked. "No," Rika replied, "He came when he was a teenager. We all became friends with him, but….." "But what?" Yuji shouted, not able to take much more of this mysteriousness. Ichigo realized that he was only overhearing them, because he seemed to be going through Keiichi Maebara's stuff. He quickly realized that was Nigo's role to play in this. Nigo looked around, and Ichigo could see everything. "Ooh, hey, he's got Kamen Rider tapes! And from 1973! That's, like, the _original! _Sweet!" Nigo said to himself. Ichigo growled at the idea that Nigo still hadn't grown up. If he was younger, he'd be excited too, but he liked to think he was more mature than that. Nigo stopped at a magazine, and Ichigo started to get confused, until he saw the article. "Hinamizawa….Burned down…." Nigo read, "Suspected arson. Someone was seen laughing. The arsonist is still at large." He flipped to another page. "Hinamizawa was famous for its murder record. One person always died on the same day every year and another disappeared. However, in 1983, two high school students, Rena Ryugu and Mion Sonozaki, were found murdered, beat to death with what appeared to be a metal bat…! The prime suspect is Keiichi Maebara, age 15, who was seen practicing with such a bat and had close connections with the two, along with Rika Furude and Satoko Hojo. Keiichi's innocence or guilt in this case has yet to be proven, and the killer remains at large."Nigo looked up. "Oh, no!"]

Ichigo shuddered for a minute. "Is something wrong?" Keiichi asked, looking at him.

"Nothing," Ichigo said, "It's just….what was that fire about? Was it done on purpose or what?"

"No, it was all an accident," Keiichi replied, his voice suddenly becoming cold. "There was nothing done on purpose. I was there, so I know."

Ichigo shuddered, remembering what Nigo had read. "And….what happened to some of your friends?"

Keiichi tensed at this. "Just what do you mean?" he asked, starting to understand what Ichigo was talking about.

"I'm talking about the ones who died right before the fire happened!" Ichigo shouted, "There were two girls, right? What happened to them?"

"Ah," Keiichi said, his voice still cold and emotionless, "They were close friends of mine. Don't try to get the wrong idea by knowing that they're dead and that everything points to me, I truly did have a close relationship with them. But they died, and I've moved on, trying to do better with my wife."

Ichigo didn't know what to say. _Is he really going to help me out….?_

"Of course I am," Keiichi said, leaning in towards Ichigo. "I've planned to from the beginning. Just because you struck a raw nerve with me doesn't mean I won't go back on my word. You want the Seishin-Ro, right?"

"Of course I do!" Ichigo shouted, "But if you can't trust me….then I can't trust you!"

"You don't need to trust me," Keiichi said, "Sooner or later, you will realize that your name befits you. It's a strength and a weakness."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo said, backing away.

"You'll learn soon enough." Keiichi said, "But to get to the point, I know who you're looking for. There's a Mystes possessing the Treasure Tool you seek, and he lives at this address." He pulled out a slip of paper from his shirt. "His name is Felix Lestrade. But be warned, he won't help you of his own free will." He smiled and turned away. "By the way," he said, "I'd like for you to come by my house some time. My wife made some ohagi, and I really can't finish it by myself…"

Ichigo was bewildered. What was with this guy….?

**Mr. 96: So, ladies and gentlemen, I know I've ended short of my goal, but it took me ridiculously long to do this! So please review! Pleeeeease! I need those reviews to continue….! I also need you to participate in the poll, no joke, I can make no progress if you don't.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Mr. 96**: **Sigh….nobody wants to read any fanfiction o' mine over July! True, I haven't updated in a while, but….**

**Anyway, I'm taking a bit of a break from the "When They Cry" arc, as I was conceiving it at a time when I was thinking too hard and coming up with crazy ideas. I'll finish it, of course, but I don't want to fixate on it. This is a Bleach/Shakugan no Shana crossover first and foremost.**

(Opening Theme: Black Paper Moon)

_(as the guitar solo commences, Zangetsu falls out of Ichigo's hands, the sky turns into night as we get a look at the sky, and the words "Ultimately Annihilated" come up in Japanese kanji behind a background of stained glass. Look up the translation, if you will.)_

**I'm Falling Down into my Shadow, iki wo hisomete, matteiru Deadly Night**

_(Ichigo and Shana clash swords high above the ground, then Nigo appears on the sidewalk in a burst of flame and looks above, scared, as Friagne appears above Ichigo and Shana.)_

**Don't Scary majo ga egaita, kabocha no basha mo, sono me ni utuseru kara**

_(Yuji stands in a windy background, shifts to Keiichi and then image melts to form Mask)_

**See You in Your Dreams, Yeah Baby kowai yume da to shitemo**

_(Ichigo and Nigo dance with Rukia and Orihime, respectively, while Keiichi looks down on them from a rooftop, his face quickly turning dark with his eyes and the inside of his mouth glowing red)_

**Fairy Blue, kimi no tame ni hoshi wo kudaki, kazarituketa, Black Paper Moon**

_(Ichigo pulls out a small ornate black sword with angel-type designs from the stomach of a brown-haired teenager wearing a vest and a stubble, then leaps up and clashes with Keiichi)_

**Shinjite Kureta nara! When You're Lost "Here" I am… "Forever" With Your Soul**

_(Keiichi cries out as his blood flies everywhere and he falls down, Ichigo rips Zangetsu out of Friagne's stomach and tears him apart with it)_

**Miagereba kagayaku tsuki no youni**

_(Ichigo looks up in a faded dark sky as an androgynous being wearing black with wings looks down at him.)_

Ichigo and Shana wandered around the district of Misaki City that Keiichi specified. Both of them were incredibly angry about the fact that they had to endure each other's company for even a few minutes, but….

"_You think I'd help a Soul Reaper out any more than I have to?" Uryu said, adjusting his glasses._

"_I'd like to help, but I need to check up on Keiichi Maebara," Chad said._

"_Um, I promised Nigo I'd go with him to the park today," Orihime said._

"_Sorry, man, I got her now!" Nigo said. Ichigo remembered being morbidly in a "kill-Nigo" mood when he said that._

"_I have to report back to the Soul Society," Rukia said._

"_I was going to check on Keiichi Maebara too," Yuji said, "Besides, someone's got to vouch for Shana's absence."_

…Thus, thetwo of them were stuck together, very much against their will. Neither of them spoke to the other for the entire trip. They eventually came to the apartment Keiichi told them about, and Ichigo knocked on the door. "Huh, that's odd. Nobody answered," he said to himself.

Meanwhile, Shana saw something out of her eye. "Over there! He's going out the window!" she shouted, pointing to another window right next to the door. Indeed, someone was moving out of the window, and quickly running from rooftop to rooftop.

"Dammit! Why does he have to make this so hard?" Ichigo swore under his breath, going out that window. He and Shana chased after Lestrade, the latter's hair turning red, and they were catching up quite quickly to him, until he dropped down below into an alleyway. Ichigo and Shana had already made the jump to another building, and by the time they jumped down, he had already gone.

"Dammit!" Ichigo said, looking around. "Where's he gone off to?" Shana said, also looking around.

"You think I'm going to help you?" a voice said from behind them. Ichigo and Shana turned around. The owner of the voice had on a white long sleeve turtleneck shirt, a brown vest over it, wore small round glasses, and had beard stubble on his face. His brown hair was curly and unkempt, and his face seemed to indicate he was American or European. _As if his name didn't give that away, _Ichigo thought.

"Look, there's something I need to tell you," Ichigo said, "Y'see—"

"I know what you're going to say," Lestrade said, cutting him off, "I'm something called a 'Torch', right? Sorry, but you're a little too late. I've come to terms with what I am right away."

"Then why aren't you helping me, dammit?" Ichigo said, punching a wall.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shana interrupted, hitting him in the head, "It's not that simple. Lots of people can't cope with the fact that they're Torches. Even yours almost had a nervous breakdown on me when I told him. He must not want to help you because he knows what'll happen to him if he does."

"The little girl's right," Lestrade smiled, "A Torch has only a limited amount of time on this world. You think I'd want to make it any shorter? Look, when I became a Torch, I decided then and there that I'd do anything to survive!"

Ichigo grimaced. This guy was really getting on his nerves…!

"Listen, you idiot!" he said, grabbing Lestrade by the shirt, "You think you're the only one in the world, and that makes you the only one worth considering? Well, you're wrong! There are other people here, and…"

"There'll _always _be other people here," Lestrade said, "It doesn't matter who they are. I just want to live for as long as I can because I know the end's coming."

"And, what, that gives you an excuse to watch everything else burn around you?" Ichigo said, getting further infuriated with this guy.

"I'm not really in the 'hero' business, kid," the Mystes said, sighing, "And you're not much cut out for it either. I get that you wanna protect people and make a difference and all that, but it's impossible in your condition. _You've lost something." _

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" he whispered, although he had a pretty good idea what this guy was talking about.

"It's something that you needed. And losing it has changed you. You're not the guy you were, 'King'," he said, chuckling to himself. He turned away, and left.

Ichigo was visibly shaken by this, and Shana could tell. But to her it didn't make much of a difference. "That guy's no different from any Torch I've met except Yuji," she said, her hair turning back to normal, "They're so scared once they learn they're a Torch, they'll do anything to live just a little longer."

"No, that's not it," Ichigo said, standing up, "He said something about me being changed. What was he talking about….?"

**Mr. 96: Nobody but me knows what Lestrade was talking about! I bet you can't even guess right! Also, the whole "King" deal….Lestrade ain't referencing Hollow Ichigo. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, going after my current arc.**

**Anyway, review! Or "Ultimately Annihilated" goes on a permanent cliffhanger!**


	11. Voices

**Mr. 96: I'm in Hawaii! Yay for me! But by the time you read this, I'll probably be going home! Anyway….this is much shorter than it could've been! I wanted to get back to the "When They Cry," and then go to the real shit of the story, which is Ichigo fighting Sorath and Tiriel, but…this is becoming more long and drawn-out than I'd like. I apologize. Anyway, after you're done, please review, or I go on a hiatus!**

(Opening Theme: Black Paper Moon)

_(as the guitar solo commences, Zangetsu falls out of Ichigo's hands, the sky turns into night as we get a look at the sky, and the words "Ultimately Annihilated" come up in Japanese kanji behind a background of stained glass. Look up the translation, if you will.)_

**I'm Falling Down into my Shadow, iki wo hisomete, matteiru Deadly Night**

_(Ichigo and Shana clash swords high above the ground, then Nigo appears on the sidewalk in a burst of flame and looks above, scared, as Friagne appears above Ichigo and Shana.)_

**Don't Scary majo ga egaita, kabocha no basha mo, sono me ni utuseru kara**

_(Yuji stands in a windy background, shifts to Keiichi and then image melts to form Mask)_

**See You in Your Dreams, Yeah Baby kowai yume da to shitemo**

_(Ichigo and Nigo dance with Rukia and Orihime, respectively, while Keiichi looks down on them from a rooftop, his face quickly turning dark with his eyes and the inside of his mouth glowing red)_

**Fairy Blue, kimi no tame ni hoshi wo kudaki, kazarituketa, Black Paper Moon**

_(Ichigo pulls out a small ornate black sword with angel-type designs from the stomach of a brown-haired teenager wearing a vest and a stubble, then leaps up and clashes with Keiichi)_

**Shinjite Kureta nara! When You're Lost "Here" I am… "Forever" With Your Soul**

_(Keiichi cries out as his blood flies everywhere and he falls down, Ichigo rips Zangetsu out of Friagne's stomach and tears him apart with it)_

**Miagereba kagayaku tsuki no youni**

_(Ichigo looks up in a faded dark sky as an androgynous being wearing black with wings looks down at him.)_

Ichigo and Shana came to Yuji's house, where everyone was waiting for them, even Rukia and Renji.

"So, how'd it go?" Yuji said, sighing and quietly bemoaning his current state.

"What's with that tone of voice?" Ichigo asked, noting that Yuji seemed a little depressed.

"Well, it's because recently I've been having to host a lot of people in my house," Yuji said, "At first it was just Shana, and I was fine with that, but…."

A busty woman burst out of the floor. "Hi, Ichigo!" she smiled.

"W…..what the hell, Rangiku? Why are you here?" Ichigo asked, a little unnerved by the fact that Soul Reapers seemed to follow him everywhere he went.

"The same reason we're all here," a voice called from below. Yuji's floormat lifted up, and a white-haired boy only a few years older than Shana, a tall man wearing an eyepatch, a blond teenager with unusually large teeth, a little girl with blond pigtails, a girl with black hair, a young man with black hair and wearing a tuxedo, a bald man, and a teenager with red and yellow hair extensions over his eye all came out. "As of Rukia's report, the Head Captain has sent us all to the World of the Living," the boy explained.

"Wait, Toshiro, Kenpachi, Byakuya, Ikkaku, Yumikicha, Shinji, Hiyori, and Momo? Why are you _all _here?"

"The reason so many people arrived is because the Soul Society essentially came to the same decision that you did," Byakuya explained, "We're here to monitor the Hollows and the Crimson Denizens simultaneously before they have a chance to devour anyone. If people lose existence, they don't go to the Soul Society, so preventing casualties is an absolute priority for us."

"_That's very sound reasoning," _Alastor said, _"But unfortunately, Crimson Denizens aren't as easy to contain as you think they are. It's extremely unlikely that your plan will work out. Besides which, the Torches help to ease the lack of balance already."_

"Even so, the Soul Society feels it's morally wrong to replace people with unliving duplicates that vanish after a very short period of time," Shinji said, "Besides, Torches don't seem to have any souls, so we can't bring them to the Soul Society."

"HEY!" Yuji and Nigo shouted, neither of them taking kindly to the fact that they were being written off as objects.

"I'm just sayin'," Shinji said, "Anyway, Ichigo seemed to beat the tar out of the first Flame Haze he met and he doesn't have any formal training whatsoever."

"Speaking of formalities, Ichigo," Toshiro said, looking at the orange-haired substitute, "I told you a million times, it's 'Captain Hitsugaya'!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shana shouted, already having three Soul Reapers too many to deal with, "Whattaya mean 'Captain'? Does the Soul Society really promote _kids _to high ranks? I can't believe it!" She burst into laughter, something Yuji noted as being seriously unusual. "And here I thought all of you Soul Reapers were almighty assholes after seeing strawberry brat, but you're just too pathetic!"

"Almighty, pathetic jerks…Yeah, that about sums them up," Ichigo smiled, which put everyone that knew him well a little off, but it wasn't nearly as surprising as the fact that he was agreeing with Shana.

"No respect for his superiors! I swear!" Toshiro said, growling under his breath.

"Tell me about it. He seems to enjoy breaking centuries of tradition and trampling on people's pride," Byakuya said, nodding.

"I mean, first they kidnap Rukia just for giving me her powers, and try to kill her, and then I rescue her and find out she's got a boyfriend!" Ichigo said. "And then there was the time they branded Orihime as a traitor and forbid me from rescuing her! Didn't stop me from going, but..."

"Sounds just like you!" Shana said, "Too much of a jerk to let people do what they want!"

"Is he a womanizer or something?" Yuji asked Nigo.

"Huh? Nah," Nigo said, smiling, "He's just got a thing for Orihime. He was just thinking about Rukia 'cause everyone was branding them as a couple, but….. I dunno, recently I'm under the impression he's more into Rukia now for some reason."

"Maybe it's because you've been taking Orihime out recently?" Uryu said, fixing his glasses.

"Hey, I can't help it! I'm him, remember?" Nigo said, shrugging.

Meanwhile, Shana and Toshiro were busy fighting over who was shorter.

"Shut up! You're clearly younger than me!" Toshiro said.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Flame Hazes don't age!" Shana shouted.

"Oh yeah? Well, Soul Reapers age a lot more slowly too! Despite my appearance, I've already lived the equivalent of fifteen human lives!" Toshiro shouted.

Ichigo sighed. "Anyway, what'd you two find about Keiichi Maebara?" he said, turning to Yuji and Chad.

"Oh!" Yuji said, "Well…."

"It was really weird," Chad finished, "He invited us in openly."

"Yeah," Yuji said, "He seemed really…..nice. He even invited us to play hanafuda with him."

"Really?" Ichigo said. Keiichi Maebara didn't seem that friendly to him. In fact, he seemed kinda creepy at first…

"As a matter of fact, he said he wanted to talk to you again," Chad said.

"Well, I guess I should…" Ichigo said. He'd been wanting to talk to Keiichi ever since he tried convincing Lestrade to give him the Seishin-Ro because there was still a lot he wanted to ask him.

"_He won't answer anything…." _a voice said. Ichigo looked around him. The voice was feminine, but it didn't sound like anyone he knew. As a matter of fact, from that voice it was hard to tell anything about the owner of it. It sounded feminine, but it could have just as easily come from a young boy. _(Note: Think Crona from Soul Eater for the voice)_

"_But you already know that, don't you, Ichigo?" _the voice continued._ "You know that he doesn't trust you. You know that he's your enemy. There would have been no way of telling if Lestrade really possessed the Seishin-Ro if it weren't for Shana. And even then, she couldn't tell for sure. All that she knew was that he was a Mystes."_

"But….but he's helped me out!" Ichigo said, not noticing that there were people around him.

"Hey, Ichigo, are you talking to yourself?" Orihime asked.

"Huh?" Ichigo asked, then quickly realized that the voice was probably like Zangetsu. "Oh! Not really! I was just…y'know….listening to my Hollow self!"

"No, no, you don't have to pretend," Orihime said, "I think it's cute!"

Ichigo's eyes widened at this. He felt….different somehow. Back in the day, if Orihime said something like that, it would get him blushing, but now…..it didn't seem to faze him at all! He knew that Nigo was trying to get into a relationship with her, but even so, the two of them were the same, weren't they? So why didn't he feel the same thing that Nigo did?

"_It's because you've lost something," _the voice said, continuing. Ichigo was a little afraid, because a voice like that could ask him to jump off a cliff and he'd do it. _And what do you mean by that? _Ichigo thought, not bothering to speak for fear of being noticed again. _"It's because you've lost Zangetsu. You can't act as a Soul Reaper anymore," _the voice continued, _"And because Nigo's living your life for you, you can't be human anymore either. It's upset you, Ichigo."_

_Yeah? _Ichigo thought, _And what's that mean to you?_

"_That's something I'd rather you find out for yourself. Just like who I am, and why Keiichi Maebara is your enemy."_

Ichigo sighed. He definitely wasn't getting anywhere with this.

"Sigh…..I guess I'd better go home and cover for you, huh, Ichigo?" Nigo said, getting up. "Don't worry, I'll do a much better job of it than Kon!"

Ichigo almost growled at this. That voice was right about one thing, and that was the fact that Nigo seemed to be taking a good chunk of his life from him. "Just tell Dad that I might have to stay here awhile!" he said, trying to hide his frustration.

_So, mysterious inner monologue voice in my head…..do I go to Keiichi Maebara's or not? I have to come to him sometime, _Ichigo thought to himself, figuring out that he could talk to this voice in his thoughts.

"_That's another thing you'll have to decide for yourself. Even though I say he's your enemy, he's still an important part to you getting Zangetsu back. You'll have to decide for yourself what degree you'd trust him to. I _w_ouldn't lie to you, and although he has, all of his attempts to help you have been honest."_

_You remind me a lot of him, you know that?_ Ichigo thought. But the voice was gone. Ichigo shook his head. Why did he get the feeling that this night was not going his way?


End file.
